US2312541A - Machine for washing clothes - Google Patents

Description

March 2, 1943. P, E. GELDHOF MACHINE FOR WASHING CLOTHES.

Filed June 24, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR lQfDl/ARD GELDHOF BY V j I ATTORNEY March 2, 1943. P. E. GELDHOF 2,312,541

MACHINE FOR WASHING CLOTHES Filed June 24, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR R EDUARD GELDHOF BY l ATTORNEY March 2, 1943. P. E. GELDHOF' 2,312,541

MACHINE FOR WASHING CLOTHES Filed June 24, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 3.

INVENTOR R EDUARD GELDHOF ATTORNEY March 2, 1943. P. E. GELDHOF I MACHINE FOR WASHING CLOTHES 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 24, 1939 INVENTOR P. 5004 GELDHQF BY 5%.

ATTORNEY March 2, 1943. P. E. GELDHOF MACHINE FOR WASHING CLOTHES Filed June 24, 1939. '5 Sheets-Sheet 5 \NVENTOR P. EDUARD GELDHOF ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 2, 1943 MACHINE FOR WASHING CLOTHES Peter Eduard Geldhoi', St. Joseph, Mich, assignor to Ninteen Hundred Corporation, St. Joseph, Mich, a corporation of New York Application June 24, 1939, Serial No. 280,905

Claims.

This invention relates to domestic clothes washing machines and more particularly to the agitating means or the like which brings about the desired washing action.

Heretofore agitating devices have been so constructed and operated that a general flow of the water, and movement of the clothes, has been created first in one direction around the tub and then in the opposite direction, this circumferential movement being accompanied by a general circulatory movement in a radial direction, for example outwardly near the bottom of the tub, upwardly along the wall, inwardly adjacent the surface of the water, and downwardly at the center. Both the water and the clothes partake of the same general, circumferential and radial movements, although due to the greater inertia of the clothes, particularly when the machine is well loaded, its movements are slower and of less magnitude than those of the water. There is a tendency, however, for the agitating means to drag the clothes circumferentially, especially when the tub is well loaded, so that the circumferential movement is almost as rapid and as great as that of the water.

I have found that clothes may be more effectively washed if they are subjected to a whip lash action and a multiplicity of bending and deflecting forces and particularly when these are at least in part due to impact and a squeezing action. It is also desirable to subject the clothes to the action of a series of separate and divergent movements or currents of water within the general body of water. The bending and deflecting forces bring about a desirable thread deformation which loosens particles of dirt held within the interstices of the fabric. This function is served to a certain extent by the impact and squeezing action. The squeezing action, furthermore, followed by expansion of the clothes causes an inward and outward movementof the water, the clothes functioning in the manner of a sponge, and this movement of the water, when supplemented by the series of divergent currents Within the main body of water, serves to carry the dislodged particles of dirt away from the clothes.

In accordance with the present invention, I have devised an agitator which, when oscillated to and fro in the conventional manner, will bring about the bending, deflecting and squeezing actions specified above and will create currents of water in a variety of different directions, some upwardly at an angle, some downwardly at an angle and some directly outwardly. These divergent currents not only assist in bending the various portions of the clothes in different directions, but also serve to carry away the dislodged dirt.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from the detailed description of certain illustrative forms of the same which will now be given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a domestic washing machine embodying the invention, one form of the improved agitatingmeans being indicated in broken lines.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the agitating means shown tin Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section through the agitating means.

Figure 4 is a horizontal, sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3, and a Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of agitator embodying features of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1 a conventional form of washing machine which may be of any known and suitable construction. In general itmay embody a tub I0 carried by a standard H which also carries, preferably in a concealed position beneath the tub, a motor l2 and a suitable gear case l3. As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, connections are provided from the motor l2 through operating means within the gear case to a vertically disposed shaft l4, indicated in broken lines in Figure 1. This shaft is suitably mounted in bearings carried by the gear case and extends upwardly through an opening in the bottom of the tub, which is sealed in any convement and known manner to prevent the escape of water around the shaft. The agitating means or washing element, constituting the principal feature of the present invention, is designated generally by the reference character I5 and it will be understood that it is'adapted to be applied over the shaft l4 and connected therewith in any convenient manner for oscilla' v y the shaft. 11

The connections from the motor 12 to the shaft I 4 and agitating means l5 may be such as to cause the latter to oscillate to and fro through an arc of approximately 200 at a rate of about completeoscillations per minute. It will be understood, however, that the rate and extent of oscillation may be varied within rather wide limits, according to the particular conditions and requirements to be met. Connections of the usual type, which need not be described, may be provided for driving any conventional form of wringer.

The improved agitating means or washing element, as best shown in Figure 2, comprises a base disc I6, a top spider member l1, and a central standard I 8 which extends some distance above the top of the spider member l1. Between the base disc and the spider member there is provided a series of partitions or vanes IQ of undulatory form, to be more particularly described hereinafter. The entire structure, including the bottom disc, spider member, central standard and vanes, is preferably cast or otherwise formed as an integral unit, although if desired the agitating means might be composed of a series of separate elements assembled and secured together in any convenient way.- While 1 f. the invention is not to be considered as limited, to the employment of any particular dimensions, l; 20j

a typical washing element for use in a tub havmg a diameter of, say 225' would involve a base i disc. of approximately 13" in diameter, 'a-tcp spider member having its arms 'exte'n'ding,=.ra-

dially about 4" from the axis of the r :eni'.ra.l

standard, and a central standard about 2%" in diameter. The distance between the base disc and pider member may be about 10" and is preferably such that the spider member will be disposed at approximately the normal water level maintained within the tub when in operation. The base disc, as indicated in Figure 1, is preferably spaced only a slight distance above the bottom of the tub, a gentle downward slope being preferably provided from the central standard toward the outer edge, as best indicated in Figure 3.

Any suitable number of vanes i9 may be'employed; three such vanes, spaced equally about the central standard, are indicated in Figure 2 and 4 and will be found to give very good results. All of the transverse elements of the vanes, i. e., lines drawn transversely across their faces parallel with the plane of the spider memher, are substantially straight and a portion of them extend from the central standard in a radial direction. These transverse elements for each vane are parallel with one another and, therefore, due to the undulatory form of the vane, only those transverse elements falling in the general mean plane passing through the top and bottom portions of the vane are strictly radial.

As best indicated in Figure 2, each vane has a small lower portion 20, extending upwardly at .substantially a right angle from the base disc I6. Similarly, a small portion 2| at the upper end of the vane extends at substantially a right angle downwardly from the spider member l1. These substantially straight or plane portions of the vane may be of any desired height but are preferably less than an inch and may, if desired, be eliminated altogether. Between the plane portions and 2|, or throughout their length if so desired, the vanes are of undulatory form, as previously indicated, and may be said to be of substantially sine curve formation in vertical cross-section. The arrangement is such that concave sections or pockets 22 and 23 are formed on one side of each vane and a similar concave section or pocket 24 is formed on the opposite side of the vane between the pockets 22 and 23. In general, it will be seen that except for the short substantially vertical portions 20 and 2|, which may be provided, the vanes present, on each side thereof, portions which are ard. The outer edges of the vanes similarly describe substantially sine curves as the vanes are viewed edgewise and they are also curved in substantially sine-curve fashion as viewed from either side. This is best indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. As a result of this peculiar formation of the vanes, the various portions at different elevations are of different radial extent; portions 2! and 2' are thus provided of somewhat greater radial extent than the end portions 20- and 2| and the intermediate portion 24 of each vane.

. The, top surface of the bottom disc I6 may, if de'siredebe smooth between the adjacent pairs of vanesg; However, there is preferably provided.

abroad, flat projection 21 on the disc IS in each ofthespaces between the several vanes. These projections may either be solid or hollow and open'onlthe under side of the disc. suitably be about of an inch in height adrkjacent their outer ends and may have their tops They may substantially in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the agitator. tion above the'disc l6, therefore, gradually decreases toward the central standard into which it merges. The breadth of the projection may be varied considerably but one that is about 2 inches wide has been found quite satisfactory.

Adjacent the outer end of each of the projections it is preferably bifurcated to fingers, as indicated at 28.

Intermediate the several vanes 9 there is preferably also provided a series of ribs 29 projecting radially outward fromthe central standard and having their outer edges substantially straight.

provide a pair of These ribs extend from the under surface of the,

spider member down to the bottom disc, being preferably curved outwardly at their lower ends to follow the curvature at the bottom of the standard and to merge gradually'into the tops of the projections 21. It has been found that good results are obtained when these ribs project radially about to of an inch from the central standard.

In the operation of the agitating means at a speed. of, say, 60 complete oscillations per minute, it will be found that the water and clothes within the tub will be caught and squeezed to a certain extent by the pockets 24 upon the counter-clockwise movernent of the agitating means, as viewed in Fig. -2, and will be similarly caught and squeezed by the pockets 22 and 23 upon a clockwise movement of the agitating means. This squeezing action, resulting from the impact with the clothes of the surfaces on the vanes disposed at an angle and in opposite directions to the vertical, will cause water to be temporarily displaced from the clothes. Immediately thereafter, however, when the impact or squeezing action has ceased, the water will quickly work its way back into the portions of the clothes from which it has been squeezed. As a result of this movement of the water in and out of the clothes, by a sort of sponge action, the dirt which has been dislodged by the bending or deformation of the threads of the material will be carried away with the water. It will be apparent that a certain amount of circumferential movement will b imparted to the clothes and water, first in one direction and then in the other, as a result of the impact.

In addition to the impact and squeezing action The height of the proiecupon the clothes, there will be set up within the water amultiplicity of small currents thrown in divergent directions by virtue of the different angular dispositions of the various portions of the vanes. Moreover, the peculiar configuration of the vanes and their different radial extents at different elevations will result in desirable variations in the force of the currents produced. These diverse currents Within the main body of water will be found to assist not only in producing the desired bending of the fabric and thread deformation but also in carrying away the particles of dirt that have been dislodged from the interstices of the material.

As the clothes are shifted back and forth circumferentially of the tub and are subjected to the action of the water movements, the individual pieces thereof have a tendency to slowly shift their relative positions and thus different pieces or portions of the same piece are brought into contact with the projections 21 and ribs 29. Those portions of the clothes which are drawn or forced across the projections and ribs are subjected to a light rubbing action which adds to the thread deformation or bending and aids in the loosening of the dirt.

Still another factor in the washing of the clothes by the improved agitating means is the whip lash effect of the vanes as they come in contact with the fabric. The contour of the free edges of the vanes is such that any clothes engaged by these edges will be deflected and whipped about in a vigorous manner, thereby greatly increasing the bending and scrubbing actions of the device.

Referring now to Figure there is shown a modified form of agitator embodying some of the features of the present invention. This agitator comprises a base disc 30 and a center post 3|, similar to the disc 16 and post I8 of the first form. Projections 32, similar to projections 21,

and ribs 33, similar to ribs 29, are also provided. While no spider member, similar to the member I! of Figure 2, is shown, such a spider may be used if desired. The vanes, which are designated 34. are of substantially sine curve form as viewed from the edge and their outer edges also present substantially a sine curve effect as viewed from the side. However, the outer edges of these vanes have a general taper inwardly toward the center post from bottom to top. Thus, the lower portion 35 of each vane extends substantially to the periphery of the disc 30, while the portions 36 and 31 are of successively decreasing radial extent, and the upper portion 38 has its Outer edge merging into the center post toward the top. The portions 36 and 31 form pockets facing in one direction while the intermediate portions forms a pocket facing in the opposite direction. The upper and lower portions, 38 and 35, respectively, are preferably in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the periphery of the base disc and radial to the axis of the center post. As in the first embodiment, the form of the vanes is preferably such that each element drawn across the face of a vane parallel with the plane of the periphery of the base disc is a straight line parallel with all the other such elements. If a spider, similar to element I! of Figure 2, is employed it will preferably be located just above the portions 31 of the vanes.

The action of this modified form of agitator is substantially the same as for the first form except that the radially outward force acting on the water and clothes is greater near the base disc than toward the top of the agitator so that there is a general movement outwardly near the bottom and inwardly toward the top of the agitator which increases somewhat the tendency of the clothes to roll over and shift one portion with respect to another. This brings m e of the clothes into direct contact with the edges of the vanes and with the projections 32 and ribs 33.

While I have shown several preferred embodiments of my invention, it will, of course, be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, since many modifications may be made, and I therefore contemplate by the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. An agitator for a clothes washing machine which comprises a base and a central standard rising therefrom, said standard having a plurality of vanes projecting therefrom, each of said vanes having a side surface of substantially sine curve formation in vertical cross-section as viewed in a vertical plane passing transversely through a vane and all sections of said vanes taken parallel to said base being straight lines.

2. An agitator for a clothes washing machine which comprises a base and a central standard rising therefrom, said standard having a plurality of vanes projecting therefrom, each of said vanes having a surface of undulatory form from top to bottom and having all its transverse elements substantially straight lines extending in parallel relation from said standard.

3. An agitator for a clothes washing machine which comprises a base and a central standard rising therefrom, said standard having a plurality of vanes projecting therefrom, each of said vanes having a surface of generally undulatory form, and a plurality of broad, flat projections on said base intermediate said vanes extending radially outwardly from said central standard and terminating in a bifurcated end portion.

4. An agitator for a clothes washing machine which comprises a base and a. central standard rising therefrom, said standard having a plurality of vanes projecting therefrom, each of said vanes having a surface of generally undulatory form. and each of Said vanes being of generally decreasing radial extent from bottom to top, and all sections of said vanes taken parallel to said base being straight lines.

5. An agitator for a clothes washing machine which comprises a base disc, a member parallel with the periphery of said base disc and spaced therefrom, and agitating means extending between said disc and member including a plurality of spaced vanes having surfaces of undulatory form in the direction of their length but all sections thereof taken parallel to said disc being substantially straight lines.

PETER EDUARD GELDHOF.

Images